


Always Friends

by camichats



Category: Marvel
Genre: Getting Together, Jealousy, M/M, Misunderstandings, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-29 09:47:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17805719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/camichats/pseuds/camichats
Summary: In which Tony and Rhodey could have been together for thirty years if they learned how to have a conversation.





	Always Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Based on that vine that I quote in the first scene (aka 'bro I had a dream we fucked'). Also based on something in the WI discord which was Rhodey being friend jealous of the Avengers. Only I ship them so I made it real jealousy. 
> 
> Also also, the 'recreational drug use' tag is because they're high on weed in the first scene, and that's literally it.

"Hey bro," Rhodey said, shoving potato chips in his mouth like if he didn't finish the bag in five minutes he'd never get to eat them again, "I had a dream we fucked."

"That's pretty gay." Tony was staring at the ceiling, and intellectually he knew that he only found it fascinating because he was high, but _wow_ what a good ceiling. White was a seriously underrated color.

"Yeah I wouldn't fuck you."

"You wouldn't?" Tony asked, rolling his head to the side to look at him.

"I mean, unless you wanted to," he said with an easy going shrug.

Tony chuckled, and that of course turned into full blown laughter.

He didn't really remember it after the high wore off. It was more like a realistic dream, where he couldn't remember if it had happened or not, and as such tried not to think about it.

...But it kept coming back to him. He'd always thought that Rhodey was damn attractive because hello, he had eyes, but they were best friends and joking about something while high was extremely different than actually wanting it. The bottom line was that Tony weighed the pros and cons, and the cons were considerably heavier. No need to risk it, he decided, and that belief stuck with him for oh, just the next thirty years or so.

* * *

The Avengers walked into the common room, saw Tony and Rhodey cuddling on the couch, and tried to make a sneaky escape. Unfortunately, Tony saw them and beamed, waving at them tiredly. "Hey guys, what's cooking?"

"Oh um," Steve looked at their full arms, trying to think of a reasonable explanation that would let them leave without making Tony suspicious. He completely blanked.

"We were thinking about catching a movie before we headed off to bed, but we didn't realize the room was already occupied," Natasha said smoothly. "We'll go to Coulson's for it, don't worry."

"No no, you can stay here," Tony said, yawning as he pushed himself up to make room.

Rhodey glared at no one in particular, but Tony was already fluffing the cushions and shoving his shoes out of the way. They all shuffled forward uncertainly, and Tony didn't even notice their trepidation because he was trying to get comfortable in his spot. Rhodey pulled Tony onto his lap, staring at Clint when he opened his mouth, practically daring him to say something.

Tony was half-asleep for the majority of the movie-- to the point that he didn't even know what they were watching-- and he barely noticed when everyone got up. It left him and Rhodey alone again, and he yawned, stretching out. He hadn't meant anything by it, but he paused when he heard Rhodey's bitten off moan. He was so unaware of everything around him that he hadn't even noticed that Rhodey was hard, much less that he was touching him _there_.

"Sorry," Tony said with a guilty smile.

"It's alright," was what Rhodey claimed, but there was a tightness to his expression that made Tony want to reassure him.

"No hey, I understand. Anything with a great ass right?" He tried winking to lighten the mood, but that only seemed to make Rhodey feel worse.

"Right," he agreed unconvincingly.

There was a swirl of guilt in his chest, tightening around his heart. "I'll uh- see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

Tony wobbled away tiredly, glancing back when he reached the doorway. Rhodey looked absolutely miserable sitting on the couch all alone, so he turned back around.

Rhodey looked up when he tripped one of Natasha's utility belts, frowning. "What are you doing? I thought you were tired?"

"I am." He sat on the couch and snuggled against Rhodey's arm. "But you looked sad. I can't let my honey bear look this sad."

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Call me pet names."

"Same reason you refuse to let me sit across the room, I guess." Tony yawned again, his mouth stretching wide.

"Because you love me?"

"What?" Tony asked, completely confused.

Rhodey sighed, rubbing at his eyes. "Go to bed Tones."

"No." Tony blinked hurriedly, trying to get himself awake enough to deal with the direction this conversation was going. "What are you talking about?"

"C'mon Tony. You know how I feel about you."

"We're best friends," Tony said innocently, but it was an old, familiar pain to Rhodey.

"You're right. We're best friends and nothing else, always have been always will be."

"What are you talking about?" Tony asked again.

"You know I like you," Rhodey said tiredly. "I'm glad you don't push me away, but sometimes being... as close as we are just hurts." He sighed, trying on a comforting smile. "Ignore me, I'm just tired and emotional."

"I don't think you are."

"Wh-"

"I think you thought I already knew, and I'm here to tell you that I had no fucking idea." Tony rubbed at his eyes. "Look panda bear, I'm tired, so just... don't panic and come to bed so we can talk about it in the morning."

"You're ridiculous," Rhodey breathed in disbelief, but he didn't resist when Tony tugged on his arm.

* * *

Because Tony sometimes forgot what his goal was supposed to be, he might have messed up a little the next morning. Instead of talking it out, he just rolled over and kissed him when he saw that he was awake.

And, because he was sometimes a bit of an idiot, he didn't realize how Rhodey took that until a few weeks later, and it wasn't even because he realized it, it was because Clint was asking about their relationship and Rhodey answered.

"So are you two dating or what?"

"Nah just messing around," was Rhodey's answer, and Tony blinked at him.

"We are?"

"Yeah?"

"I thought we were dating."

"You did? But..." Rhodey trailed off, unwilling to put words to what had happened.

Clint looked between the two of them, but instead of leaving like a nice, normal person would, he leaned back in his chair to watch.

Tony ignored him. "I could've _sworn_ I told you I liked you."

"You- uh, did not. At all. Not even close Tones."

"Whoops," Tony said sheepishly.

"Oh my god Tony. You are the most ridiculous person I have ever met."

"What about Thor?"

"You are the most ridiculous human I know. Would it really have been that hard to say 'yeah James I like you too'?"

"Yes actually, because I never call you 'James'." Tony said his name with a disgusted look, like it wasn't his actual, legal first name. "And seriously, I thought I had told you already."

"You didn't."

Clint was grinning in the background, looking extremely amused by the scene in front of him.

"Well I meant to and I think that counts."

"It does not," Rhodey said, rolling his eyes, but he didn't look upset, so Tony was going to count it as a win. "Are we dating now?"

"Sure." Rhodey glared at him, and he quickly corrected, "I mean yes, of course. Dating. You and me." Tony did finger guns at him, which somehow made him laugh.

"You're such a dork."

"Yes and you've been friends with me for how long?"


End file.
